Wow! This is an intelligent, absorbing, easily read, riproaring, sexy adventure set mostly on a rapidly disintegrating dystopian ( only slightly) future Earth. We experience events through the eyes and emotions of global government leaders, quarreling moderate and extreme eco resistance and eco warrior groups, police investigators, ruthless heads of industrial megalopoli … and as a parallel story; the distressed lives of two loving parents of a deaf, blind, mute, ‘locked in’ immobile baby: Elspin. Weaving in and out of the story’s periphery is a quiet obstetrician neurologist who discovers Elspin’s disconnected brain is a unique, hugely complex, universe within itself where Elspin has created herself as green amorphous light-being capable of communicating with the outside world. Have I given too much away? I think not. OK – besides being a planet on the verge of eating and s***ting itself into oblivion – the world is a multiracial melting pot where race, age and gender have ceased being issues that matter. There are much bigger issues at stake. How will the emerging supermind of Elspin and the creaking old World intersect? Dammit – this book stops too soon. Or is this Part 1? This book would appeal to any reader, but sci fi readers would revel in it – Sagan’s ‘Contact’ is just one that springs to mind.

Harrowing, timely and thrilling. An astute observation, written as fiction, into the potentially disastrous environmental impact of our present way of treating the planet. Set in the future, abounding in wonderful gizmos, women presidents, and disaffected terrorists, it is part philosophical text, part detective novel and all rip-roaring action adventure.

As the planet’s environment collapses, Planetary President Jane Muller is having a hard time controlling the LPL environmental terrorist group.
Jael Haverland, the LPL’s spokesperson, brings all its factions together, but Elizabeth Dippravit (Dippa) hopes to release a virus which will destroy all mankind. Earl Broady wants to delay or stop her; policeman Harry Grizzani tries. The government starts to detain the entire LPL, and eventually Muller takes absolute power and declares martial law in an attempt to fix the planet’s ecology.

In a separate thread, Jarvid and Mohoebe Murked honeymooned on the twin-mooned planet of Diaphorous. On their return journey, a hyperspatial travel accident causes newly-conceived daughter Elspin to be born without a nervous system. Gynaecologist Winston Stagg is obsessed by her genius brain activity, however, and determines to communicate with her.

This is a near future pre-apocalyptic scenario in which various environmental terrorist groups have combined to hold the world to ransom, but are outmanoeuvred by the politicians. I’ve not read anything like this before and, although it does get a bit bleak at times, there is some hope for mankind towards the end. The story about Elspin is slightly incongruous; I presume Goodwin plans to finish it in another book (hint).

Goodwin writes a good story, and I’d really like to see him try his hand at a police procedural because his attention to detail is exemplary. There is also a tightness of style about ‘tec fiction that he needs, because there are times when this book gets rather wordy; a more ruthless editor could enhance the readability. And a good publisher would bring Opher to the wider audience he deserves; I hope to see him on the bookstore shelves very soon!

I am so pleased that I discovered Opher Goodwin’s Sci Fi books. I only enjoy Sci Fi if it is of good quality and well written, and Opher’s books are up there with the best of them. I have now read several, and found them all to be great reads – and ‘Green’ is no exception. It is very well written and is so imaginative – I don’t know where Opher gets all his ideas from, but there are lots of great, thought provoking moments in this book. If you are looking for some top quality Sci Fi, something a little different and more importantly original, I can really recommend this book. I loved it, and feel sure that it will inspire lots more discerning readers to read Opher’s other books as well.

What a breath of fresh air, a new science fiction writer. I approached this with some trepidation as I’ve been let down before with unknown writers but I knew from the first couple of pages this was different. Opher’s style was so refreshing his storytelling held my attention from moment I started reading. The way he developed the story and the characters in it revealed great maturity for a new writer. I can recommend this to anyone who may be a little hesitant in trying something new.

I’m not normally that enthused to read Sci-Fi books, but, having read other books by Opher – In Search of Captain Beefheart and Ebola in the Garden of Eden, I decided to give this a go. I was pleased and surprised how engrossed I became, and am sure fans of Sci-Fi will greatly enjoy it, too.